Press

Rachel Schutz brought down the house with “Glitter and Be Gay” from “Candide.” She offered diamantine high notes, witty characterization, and giddily delirious coloratura. 

— Boston Globe (Richard Dyer)

Out of a superb ensemble cast, perhaps the finest singing was delivered by soprano Rachel Schutz. She brought lyricism and cogency to the Weill songs and a vivacious spirit to the role of Therèse, the feminist who switches genders to become the title character in the Poulenc.

And then there was Rachel Schutz, who brought with her that ineffable measure of something more. The Welsh-born soprano took a monster of a song, “Glitter and Be Gay” from “Candide”, and twirled it around her finger as seductively as the baubles she fondled. Her voice has a crystalline ease that would find a happy home in “Die Fledermaus”, and a pinpoint top-register, Queen of the Night accuracy. 

Soprano Rachel Schutz delivered a beautifully enticing “siren song” throughout and looked the part of a young sailor’s ideal, a glamorous globe-trotting model. 

— Honolulu Star Advertiser (Ruth Bingham)

Soprano Jo Ellen Miller was delightfully fresh in three lighter songs of more recent vintage, and Rachel Schultz juggled the coloratura pitches in “Phonemena” with dazzling aplomb. It was amazing to hear how easily these two sopranos could segue from singing Bernstein show tunes with the Pops into Babbitt’s world, but they delivered both with the same communicative zest.

Rachel Schutz as Johanna and Jesse Blumberg as Anthony bring much-needed light to the stage as the young lovers. Their glorious lyrical voices are captivating.

— Honolulu Star Advertiser (Jane Kerns)

... and Rachel Schutz, whose portrait of St. Settlement revealed a comic streak lurking in this astounding lyric coloratura, who dazzled a Bard audience with a veritable pipe of the Strauss Brentano Leider at Conservatory orchestra concert in February.

Of course it’s too early to say – there is still another day of semi-finals – but Rachel Schutz may well be flying home with a trophy in her luggage. Her “Presentation of the Rose”, Strauss Der Rosenkavalier, was utterly captivating. Using the entire area of the white 3-foot square as her stage, she was like a caged Disney princess, full of wonder and animation, yearning to be free. She maintained her character through amazing dynamics that in places dropped down to a whisper. She chose an enchanting area and delivered it extremely well. She sang again after the short break, much to the delight of the audience: “Son anch ‘io la virtu”, Donizetti Don Pasquale. Playing a much naughtier character, with eyes like a classical Indian dancer, she revealed a real talent for acting. Complete with tantrums and pouting, she managed all of this in that tiny square that you can see in the picture. When the score required a musical laugh she gave a real one. She comes with a lot of extra features, but underneath is solid technique – her scales were scorching.

— Cape Town Classical Review (Andy Wilding)

Stopping the show was Rachel Schutz, a TMC vocalist last year, who’s already making waves in the world of opera. She tackled Bernstein’s witty and notoriously difficult Coloratura sendup “Glitter and Be Gay” from “Candide” and - amazingly - equaled the landmark Barbara Cook performance from the original cast in 1956.

And then the second act began, and soon Euridice made her appearance. Played by the young Welsh-born soprano, Rachel Schutz, the entire evening was transformed ... into one of those handful of most memorable nights of your life.... Schutz not only sang brilliantly, looked beautiful, and fit the role of Euridce perfectly, she acted the role so incredibly well, beyond almost anything I’ve experienced on the opera stage or even in musical theater, or for that matter, nonmusical plays. ... I have rarely been moved so completely and impressed so greatly by any stage performance of any kind. It ranks right up there with the greatest I’ve seen.

— Lally's Alley (Michael Lally)

Featured soloists Blythe Gaissert in the role of Octavian, Charlotte Dobbs as the Marschallin, and Rachel Schutz as Sophie were all phenomenal – their youthful, exuberant voices filling Chapin Hall with washes of pure melody.